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A love letter for a house

Clients often ask if there is anything they can do when submitting an offer that will make the sellers chose theirs over another. Competing offers are always a concern, especially when many real estate agents keep their cards close to their chests.

In Minnesota, a few buyers took matters into their own hands and wrote letters to the seller to try and persuade them to pick their offer over another.

Think of it like a love letter but for a house.

Aleah Vinick recently wrote a letter to a seller that described the fondness she and her husband feel for the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis, where their dream house was located.

“The neighbors, the events, the park itself shape our day to day and inspire us,” she wrote.

They got the house. It’s unclear if the letter made a difference. But the seller did tell Vinick’s real estate agent that he appreciated it. He didn’t mention the part of the letter Vinick left in by mistake, in which she accidentally included a gushy “hugs and kisses” closing — left over from an early draft sent to her husband.

Writing such a letter can go either way. Some sellers may think of it as a cheesy tactic that shows desperation or a way to make up for offering less money.

Some sellers may find the thought of parting with their house of 30 years (where they have made many memories) eased knowing that someone else is going to get to make more memories in it.

The real question is, would you do it? Let us know what you think in the comments.